De Jager Backs ‘Permanent Troika’ in Athens to Monitor Economy

By Fred Pals -
Feb 20, 2012

Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager said he supports a permanent presence of international
monitors in Athens to oversee Greece’s implementation of
austerity measures as part of a second rescue program.

“When you look at the derailments in Greece which have
occurred several times now, it is necessary that there is some
kind of permanent presence of the troika in Athens,” he said.
“But I am also in favor of an escrow account where the money is
disbursed first and then from that escrow account we have more
certainty.”

Euro-area finance chiefs are meeting in Brussels today,
aiming to reach a decision on the second Greek bailout. De Jager
said the rescue “can’t be more than 130 billion” euros ($172
billion).

Earlier today, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the group of euro finance ministers, said
the question of how much public aid Greece will receive is
“still open.”

“We will listen to the findings of the troika,” De Jager
said of today’s meeting. “We need guarantees on supervision. We
need signatures of the leaders of the two biggest political
parties. They need to sign for after the elections. Greece needs
to meet a whole set of conditions. It needs to happen and if not
we won’t and can’t sign for a new deal.”